Cinderella
by lucians
Summary: Both from two different worlds, both with the same mind and heart. Love is the last thing on Aria and Ezra's minds, but will fate bring them together? / [Ezria, Cinderella Style]
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

"Meredith?" Aria called out, stepping into the cool-aired house. A sigh escaped her lips after she was greeted with silence, which meant her stepmother was still gone. Her needs to escape the humid filled air were finally fulfilled. Spencer, Hanna, and Emily stood behind her, backpacks and purses slugged around their shoulders. They all kicked off their shoes at the door and stomped their way to her room, listening to Spencer's rant on her latest American History exam and how she was positive the only reason she received a 96 was because she used a pen, rather than a number two pencil.

"Why wouldn't you ask the teacher about it?" Emily inquired, shutting the door to my room once we all entered.

"Ask Mrs. Gretchen?" Spencer questioned cautiously, her bag landing on the carpeted floor with a thud before hopping onto the bed next to Hanna, who was intently skimming the latest Seventeen magazine. "You're telling me to ask a seventy year old lady why I hadn't received those last four points. You know what she told me the last time I asked her why I didn't get the full points? She told me I was being greedy. You know what else she asked me? 'Why isn't beating allowed at Rosewood High?' I can't tell you how fast I left that room."

Aria chuckled, understanding the kookiness of the older lady. She had her for American History as well.

"Oh my god, did you guys know that overalls are becoming a thing again?" Hanna's face was buried in her magazine, but Aria could already guess her crinkled nose and open mouth had shaped her face. "Overalls make me look really short."

"Being short isn't that bad, Han," Aria told her, slipping out her phone from her pocket and looking through one missed text message she had before scrolling over to Twitter.

"You're only saying that because it works for you," Hanna sighed. She flung the magazine in midair and it landed on the floor in a heap. "Screw it. If they're bringing back overalls, I'm going back to glittery pumps."

"Can we save the fashion drama for later and talk about tonight?" Emily busted through, her back going from slumped to straight in a matter of milliseconds.

"I see _someone__'s_ excited for her mystery date," Spencer piped, a sly smile crossing her face. According to Emily, she had been getting these love notes from a girl that had eyes on her for years and wanted to expose herself. In Aria's opinion, she chose the perfect place to meet up — Rosewood's annual Masquerade Ball, which would take place that night.

"Not gonna lie, I'm beyond excited," Emily agreed, flashing a cheeky grin.

"Do you have any ideas?" Aria asked, "you know, to who it might be? Was the handwriting recognizable?"

Emily responded by standing up and grabbing her clutch bag, digging through, and throwing out a bunch of neatly folded notes on the floor. Aria, Spencer, and Hanna all joined Emily on the ground in a rush, picking up some of the notes and trying to determine whose writing looked familiar.

"'You wanna know who's beautiful? Look at the first line,'" Aria read off, giggling afterwards. "Aw, that's really cute."

"Meet me next to the punch bowl at the MB tonight — the Masquerade Ball," Spencer translated with a gasp, even though she already knew this piece of information beforehand.

Aria peeked at a few more notes and put them side-by-side with each other. "They're pretty... see how she doesn't dot her i's and her j's? She uses small circles."

"I think Allegra does that," Spencer investigated.

"That foreign girl with that heavy Italian accent?" Hanna whooped, "she's really pretty."

"No... I don't think so," Emily said, "in one of the notes, it says she's known me for a long time. Didn't Allegra move here only last year?"

"A year is a pretty long time, Em," Hanna insisted. Emily shrugged, continuing to look over them with squinted eyes.

"Do you have your dress picked out, Aria?" Spencer asked. A smile lit up Aria's face as she nodded and stood up to rush to her closet, where a zipped bag remained hooked on the rack. It was spaced out and had it's own rack, which made it seem as if it was the most special out of them all. She stripped the bag down until the dress was shown. Her hands reached for the top and she held it against her body, turning around to display what she used all of the money she worked off to buy. The three girls all gasped in unison; Spencer's jaw even dropped a little.

"It's so..."

"Perfect!" Hanna finished for her. "If none of the guys noticed you before, they totally will now."

"But I'll have a _mask_ on," Aria reminded, her insecurities kicking in again. She didn't believe she was as pretty as the girl she was before. Ever since her mother passed away, her father and stepmother, Meredith, lived with her. Then, her father decided he'd move elsewhere for a year for a business opportunity. That left herself and a woman who had severe mental problems, literally. She was a nutcase. Aria never felt like herself at home because of all the strange orders she was given, like scrubbing the blonde's feet until it was softer than a baby's bottom or creating a chicken flavored cake for Meredith's tiny poodle. The inheritance that was left from her mother was taken away by Meredith. She had done her hardest to show Byron that Aria would be irresponsible with the money because of her age because she was only seventeen, and succeeded with her pleads. It was decided that her money and belongings would be put on a hold under Byron and Meredith's accounts. What Aria's father didn't know was that Meredith had been cashing out money for herself.

Ever since her father left the country, Aria had to pick up a job to fend for essentials - such as school supplies, clothes that would last the rest of the year, car insurance, and even food very occasionally. Sometimes, Meredith would go days without picking up groceries from the store and went out to eat instead. Aria was completely grateful that Mike, her younger brother, didn't have to go through everything she was going through. He left with their father.

Aria rarely wore the artistic outfits she wore before. The money to do so was now gone. She refused to accept cash from Hanna, who always tried to slip her something in the beginning, when the dilemma only started. She said she was in the same predicament a few years ago with her mother and knew what she was going through. Aria still wouldn't take anything, despite the rumors that began to spread about 'the daughter who has to skip meals because she can't fend for herself.' No one dared pointing a finger at Meredith because she had built a nice reputation for herself at Rosewood. No one could believe a beginning teacher would ever treat someone so awful.

"I think it's safe to say you've won best dress," Emily assured. The other two girls nodded. Aria turned to look at the mirror in the right corner, peering at her reflection as well as the dress. It was a new era dress, which flowed down to her ankles. It was a deep blue, like the color of the ocean when a sunset gazed over it and changed into a darker tone. There was a nice cut to it at the collarbone, and only one strap that was thicker and softer than the rest of the dress. It was curvy-friendly, meaning it'd hug her hips perfectly and expose her swift curves, the ones that she never showed off anymore because they were hidden under loose dresses or baggy sweaters. She couldn't help but to smile at the possibility of a potential shining moment. It was the first time in a long time that she had felt so... _confident_.

The door swung open, which caused the talk about Emily's secret admirer to pause, and in stormed crazy-eyed Meredith. Aria's heart almost belted out of her chest. Why was she here? The last time she had walked into Aria and her friend's gatherings, she mortified her and told them about how she still slept with her stuffed pig, Petunia. It gave her comfort in those dire times of melancholy, but she didn't want her friends to know that.

"Why are your friends here?" Meredith barked, "they need to leave. I've already told you — _no friends today_."

"I never get to have my friends over," Aria opposed, her eyebrows scrunching. She had only spoken back once and earned two months' worth of punishment with no phone or electronics, no friends outside of school, and no outside privileges. It was home to school and back for ten weeks straight. Regrettably, talking back for the second time was a horrible decision.

"You're not going to that Ball tonight," she notified, opening the doors wider, "and your friends can get the hell out of my house."

Aria's jaw dropped as her friends frantically accumulated their items and whisked out of her room. She was left to face the wrath of her wicked stepmother.

"If you ever talk to me like that again, especially in front of company," Meredith started, "I'll make sure you have a taste of hell. You're going to be there anyways. I'll be back around midnight, I'm going to Carlito's for a dinner rehearsal. I want to see the entire house scrubby clean by the time I get back. If I see so much as a speck of dust, you're going to be sleeping in the treehouse for a week. Got it?"

And with that, Meredith exited the room and took any and all hope that Aria had for herself. She waited to hear the door slam, which seemed to take a century, before sinking to the ground. She didn't know what on earth she was going to do, but whatever it was, she had to do it fast.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, a method she used to prevent tears from flowing. Picking herself up from the ground, she dusted off her school clothes and found a cleaning apron and slipped it over herself. The short brunette took one last look at her magnificent dress, uttering an audible sigh. She picked up her duster and exited her room, thinking about all the fun and action she'd miss out on.

At least her friends would be there. She'd have to settle experiencing it vicariously through them.

* * *

Ezra Fitz nervously fiddled around with his tie, trying to finding different variations to tighten it up before giving up and throwing it on the couch of his living room. Besides his best friend, Hardy, advising him to attend, he had no real reason to go. He didn't even have a date, nor had he been in Rosewood long enough to befriend a female friend his age and single. It wasn't that it was a difficult task since being Rosewood's newest, youngest, and most notably not in a relationship took a heavy toll on how everyone viewed him. He had a small idea of the rumors but no idea how massive they had become. But he simply wasn't interested in _only_ the typically upper-class females that had nothing but money and looks to be presented. He wanted to meet a woman with talent, passion, and fire.

He traveled around to his kitchen, grabbing the glass of red wine and downing it in seconds. He was tense, that was for sure, but he didn't know why. He just hoped and prayed that no one would recognize him under his suit and mask. He knew his curls would give him away, but he wasn't up for gelling it down or creating a quiff. He was never a charming man, and you'd see many of his college friends say the same thing. Girls didn't fawn over him back then, which was why it was so strange that they were doing it now. He strayed away from attention, but was it possible to escape a spotlight that followed your every move?

The familiar ringtone of his phone made him groan. He was already busy trying to figure ways to disguise himself, he didn't need interruptions. He answered it only to make sure it wasn't someone of any type of importance. He didn't bother to look at the caller ID.

"Hello?" he said, heading back to the mirror and positioning his black mask over his face. His hazel eyes were able to be seen, unlike the other mask he tried on, which had no eye holes.

"Ezra!" he heard the voice of Hardy through the phone, "are you getting ready, man?"

"Sort of," he replied honestly, taking off the mask and setting it on top of the counter next to his typewriter.

"Hurry up," Hardy urged, "there's only two hours left before it starts. You want to get there early so you can scope out the hot chicks."

Ezra chuckled at his comment. He knew his friend had taken a liking to women lately, especially the brand new ones from outside of the college they were at together. He had bad luck with relationships, and Ezra always gained extra pocket money just betting on how many days it would take for Hardy to get bored of a girl and dump her or vice versa.

"I'm not there to look for a woman," he replied, shaking his head, "I just want to enjoy myself and have a good time, like you said."

"You think having a good time is eating snacks alone and dancing on the floor by yourself?" Hardy asked, "have you seen your dance moves? You look like you're being electrocuted."

He gasped at the insult. "That's not true!"

Hardy guffawed. "Alright, okay. I'll show you later."

"You're going too, right?" Ezra wanted to confirm. He wasn't up for being alone at a social event. At that point, he preferred getting to the stacks of essays he had to grade and then curl up and read Tender Is The Night for the billionth time until he fell asleep.

"Yeah," Hardy replied, "but I'll be working at the front desk. They said they'd pay me a hundred dollars to work the entire night and I need a new guitar amp."

Ezra sighed dramatically at the sound of that. It looked like he'd have to fend for himself. "I guess I'll see you there."

"See you later."

He hung up the phone and headed to the bathroom to floss for the third time that hour. He wasn't expecting to find anyone special that night, but he had gotten it all wrong. There was a special little lady that was the last person he'd position himself with in the real world that he'd be meeting. The peak of his predetermined course was coming up soon. And it would hit him hard, right in the heart.

* * *

**A/N**: Hey, hey! here's a new ezria story i've been working on which is most likely going to be a threeshot (maybe a fourshot/fiveshot, we'll see) but i'm really happy to share this with you and i hope you enjoyed it. do you think aria's going to be able to find a way out? and if she does, will her and ezra find each other at the ball? those questions will be answered in the next chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

_You have to sneak out._

That was the text message she had gotten from all three of her friends after she finished cleaning and scrubbing down the entire kitchen. That _alone_ had taken an hour and it was already seven o'clock. The ball would start in an hour, but it didn't matter to her. She had set herself up for misery and she was the one that had to pay the price.

_Can't. Meredeath's gone, but she wants me to clean the entire house until she comes back._

She shoved her phone back in her jean pocket and headed to the living room, which was already cleaned. In fact, all of the rooms in the house were clean until Meredith purposely created a mess in each room. The kitchen had different food ingredients spilled all over the ground while the living room had a gigantic pool of watermelon juice that stained the fuchsia and white colored mat. She groaned at the sight of the blotch, contemplating ways to get it out. Before she could, she heard a thump at the window from the front door, which was just across her living room. She dropped her duster on the table and scurried over to see who it'd be, and to her surprise, it was Spencer. She opened the door, her mouth slightly widened, and saw Hanna and Emily as well. They were all dressed in their gowns.

"What are you guys doing here?" she questioned, a little more harsher than she meant.

"It's nice to see you too," Hanna said.

"We're here to bust you out," Spencer proclaimed professionally, much like the leader she was. All of their eyes were twinkling, like they were so confident Aria was going to be able to leave with them. But only the stressed brunette knew her fate — she wasn't going anywhere.

"I already told you, I can't!" Aria accentuated, holding up her fluffy duster in the air. Her lips drooped into a frown.

"You said that the house has to be clean, right?" Spencer asked. In response, Aria nodded. Out of nowhere, two young girls appeared from behind Hanna, Emily, and Spencer. It shocked her a little bit, but it was somewhat understandable since they were all her height and they were covered by the vivid gowns.

"Aria, meet Lisa and Courtney," Emily beamed, "they're my cousins and they're incredible at cleaning. They'll clean up all the messes and leave the place spotless."

"As long as you have a television," one of the girls said while the other nodded in agreement. Aria hadn't realized she was holding her breath until her chest was completely suppressed. She inhaled a deep gasp of air.

"I have one in my room," Aria said, "it's kind of small, but it's better than getting the living room dirty." She was beginning to feel anxious. The minuscule possibility that she would be able to go and come back was beginning to grow. She could already see herself dancing with her friends, enjoying herself for the first time in a while, and even meeting new acquaintances to mingle with for the night.

"So?" Hanna said demurely, "what do you say? Do you want to forget about the night you've been waiting for since last year and clean the entire night? Or do you want to have some fun?"

Aria wasted a short time thinking about her options. One would say the choice was fairly easy, but she didn't like breaking rules so often if there was a possibility things wouldn't go the correct way. She was panicking, to say the least. _Ball or home? Ball or home?_ She stared at the expectant faces of her best friends, who brought her the opportunity. They were her saviors, and she realized she couldn't let them down after all the trouble they went through in the last hour to get this going.

"I'll do it," she agreed. She was still somewhat hesitant, but the feeling would dissolve in a matter of time. All six girls tramped inside, but while the four friends scurried upstairs to get Aria dressed and ready, the other two cousins raced into the living room where the mess was merely halfway completed.

The second Aria stepped into her dress and the girls zipped the back of her jacket, she turned herself to look into the mirror. She, herself, was blown away by her appearance. Hanna dragged her to the chair and forced her to sit down while Spencer pulled out a gigantic makeup kit which was barely touched. She knew Spencer only used it for big events such as that night because heavy, flashing makeup wasn't her thing.

"Okay, what goes good with a royal blue dress?" Emily pondered aloud.

"We should go for a shimmery gold eyeshadow," Hanna proposed.

"Hanna, we're not going to blind other people with that sparkly stuff," Spencer said, "I think we should go for a silver smokey eye."

As the girls continued talking and rolling their fingers between her hair, Aria shifted her position in the chair, crossing her left leg across her right. She felt like a doll, but in a good way. Not the version where she was being controlled, but the version where she was being pampered. She had to admit, she liked it a little, even if the treatment was overwhelming.

Hanna had decided to take care of the hair, Spencer would apply the makeup, and Emily would all of her nails. They had about an hour, but they knew if they went at a higher than normal rate, they'd be at the Ball twenty minutes late, which was a good time. Her stomach churned when Meredith's angry figure popped into her head, but she washed it away promptly. Meredith wasn't around for now, which gave Aria permission to enjoy herself for a while. And she was going to enjoy it to the best of her ability.

* * *

Ezra cursed loudly when he almost launched himself in front of a car. Even though Rosewood was a small town, there was a large amount of traffic in some places, as well as giant events such as the Masquerade Ball. It was all that the town could talk about. Anyone above fifteen was allowed to join, but it was a petty rule to Ezra. If someone was tall enough to pass as a fifteen year old, they could go in, which would make the rule inconsequential.

He let a row of cars pass before crossing the street, where Rosewood's main hall resided. He had been there a few times for business purposes, but he had never gone past the main desk. He had to admit, it was a magnificent building, especially for being so old.

As he entered the building, he adjusted his mask so that he could see a little more clearly through it. Signs directed him to his location. Everyone in front and behind him were going the same direction as he was. He could only imagine the amount of people that would be there. Luckily, Hardy informed him the place was huge enough to fit many inside. Ezra's first instinct was to find the coat desk, where Hardy claimed to be working.

"Ezra Fitz?" he heard a voice call out. Uh oh — _busted_. The mask obviously didn't cover his upper face enough. Two ladies, ones that hardly looked familiar to him, came darting to him with giant grins on their faces. They, too, had masks on.

"We didn't know you were going to be here!" the blonde exclaimed, raising her wine glass. "Would you like some? There are some beverages inside."

"I'll get for you if you want!" the other girl asked, who had a more enthusiastic tone in her voice. Already, Ezra was startled. They attached themselves to either side of his arms and held tightly, dragging him towards double doors that were as tall as two humans stacked on top of each other. He assumed immediately that the dance was inside because of the amount of people entering and exiting, along with the loud music.

"That's okay," Ezra nodded politely, squeezing his way out of their clingy grasps. "I think I'm fine."

"Are you alone? Are you here with someone?" they bombarded him, eyes filled with eagerness. He didn't want to upset them, but he didn't want them in his current presence as well. Any other time he would have taken a period to have a chat out of manners, but it wasn't the right time.

"Yeah, I'm here with someone," he smiled, pointing inside, "she's waiting for me inside."

He slipped away from the disappointed ladies and into the location, where decorations were set up, a variety of snacks and drinks were set out on a table at the end, and people danced and socialized. He stayed by the edges and kept his head leveled so he wasn't recognized by any other females. All he wanted to do was show Hardy he was there, find someone he knew, and then leave right away.

He found himself next to the refreshments table and instinctively picked up a cup of punch, slurping it down. It destroyed all meaning of his numerous brushing and flossing, but it just happened. He looked up at the wall, where tons of papers were plastered on the wall. No one else had seemed to mind them, but his curiosity peaked. He inched closer, scanning a few of the articles, and noticed they were poems. Deciding it would be a fairly nice way to pass the time, he read through them, his back facing the crowds. One of them caught his eye, not to mention it resulted in him reading over it five times in pure affection.

"I forgot those were even here," said a fragile voice from beside him. He turned his head to finally notice a girl who stood with her hands in front of her. He didn't know if she had been standing around for a long time or if she had just arrived, but she didn't seem to scream and shout over his existence, which he silently thanked her for. She seemed to be staring at the same one he had, and it made him think.

"Is that one yours?" he asked, pointing to it. She turned her head to him and nodded, a tiny smile crossing her face. It was when she did that that Ezra finally notice how breathtaking she was, even under her mask. She was dressed in a royal blue gown, her hair up and out of her face with the exception of two strands of hair that dangled in front of her temples down to her chin.

"It's beautiful," Ezra added. _Like you_. The girl gleefully laughed, shaking her head.

"It's really not my best," she shrugged.

"Wait, so you write? As in, regularly?" he asked, slightly shocked. Most women he knew seemed to think that writing was a waste of time unless they were going to use it as a profession. The brunette nodded a little, shifting her weight to one leg and crossing one hand to her upper arm.

"I do," she validated, "it's my passion."

Hearing that, his lips curved into a smile. She was attractive, she was into writing. He had to know more about her.

"Are you majoring in it?" he asked. He could only assume she was in college because of how young she seemed, and her writing skills seemed very mature, too mature for her to be any younger than eighteen.

"I want to," she replied shyly, "but my parents — my _stepmother_ doesn't think it's a good idea, so I'm leaning towards law."

"But you're amazing at it," Ezra insisted, "you should think about switching over to writing. She'll understand in the long run. And even if she doesn't, you should know that it's rare to find such a talented, young author like yourself."

He didn't know where his words were coming from, but his comments seemed to bring out a blushing glow from the female, radiating her skin. They gazed each other for moments, no sign of displeasure from either side.

"Oh, can I get you some punch?" he asked, suddenly noticing her empty hands. He pointed to the table behind him. She shook her head, the loose curls in front of her face dangling as she did so.

"I should probably go," she said, "I don't want to bother you."

She began to back away, but Ezra's eyebrows rose. "No!" he exclaimed, a little too anxiously. He cleared his throat when she took an abrupt stop in her heels. "No, please. Stay."

The woman obeyed, but kept her distance from him. He didn't know what he did to send her farther, and he seemed to internally blame himself for whatever he did.

"Would you like to dance?"

It slipped out. He couldn't grasp the words before they came tumbling from his mouth. It was probably the last thing he should have offered since she was clearly keeping her distance away from him. He could already imagine her rejecting his offer and scurrying away, telling her friends about how an idiot tried to come onto her and asked her for a dance. He didn't want to come off that way, like this pervert that wanted to enjoy a waltz with a girl and take advantage of her, because he wasn't that kind of guy. In fact, he wasn't even looking for a woman to dance with in the first place. It just... _happened_.

"Of course," she agreed, which took him by surprise. He put down his empty cup on the table and offered his hand out, his mouth slightly agape to her acceptance. She wrapped her petite arm around his. He lead her towards the middle of the floor, sending out some final prayers that he wouldn't mess up and humiliate himself.

"I'm not the best dancer," she admitted timidly. It was hard to hear her as they got closer to the music, but he seemed to manage.

"Neither am I," he told her, "we'll just go with the flow."

She smiled at his statement. Ezra took her hand into his, and as her hand gently rested on his shoulder, he placed his hand on her hip, being careful as to where he positioned it. Just then, the next song began to play, a slow song that sounded like it would be in the top ten charts of hit songs. They stepped in place, completely in sync.

"Are you sure you don't dance too?" Ezra wondered aloud when she began to incorporate some moves into her steps. She seemed so loose, so easygoing with the music. She blended and harmonized with it. The curly haired man was in awe of her.

"I promise," she claimed, her beautiful smile appearing once again. They danced for a few more songs. They didn't have to speak at all; it was like the music and their moves spoke for them. Many eyes averted to them, wondering who on earth the lady was that danced with the young and single Ezra Fitz. Whoever it was, he was proud to admit that she had his heart on her wrist.

"My legs are a little sore," she confessed apprehensively, as if she was scared to disappoint him by saying it. But he was far from disappointed. Anything that satisfied her would satisfy him.

"We can take a break, if you'd like," Ezra said, stopping in his tracks. She nodded, mimicking his actions and stood across from him. For an odd reason, he wanted to reveal himself to her in hopes that she would do the same. He slid off his mask above his head, the rest of his face finally exposed. Her eyes went wide, which had to mean she knew who he was.

A loud dong came from nowhere. It stopped Ezra from his train of thoughts and made him look around to find the source of the ongoing noise. He saw it came from a gigantic clock, one that was on the far side of the wall. It stated 11:45.

* * *

"Oh my god," Aria panicked. Everything hit her all at once, all so suddenly. She hadn't even noticed who she was mingling with and dancing with until he took his mask off. _Ezra Fitz_. She knew he was a teacher at her school, but she didn't have him for a class. The only times she's heard of him were from gossiping students who thought he was 'so cute' and his mother, who was friends with him.

Time had gotten away from her and now her doom was beginning to seal. If Meredith came home, she was prepared to dig her own grave and sharpen the knife that Meredith would use to launch it inside her.

Ezra's head jerked from the clock to her, his eyes crunching. "What is it?" he asked, "what's wrong?"

"It's almost midnight," she stated, "I have to go."

She ran off, her breaths becoming panicked by the second. Hanna and Spencer stood next to a few friends in their grades, as well as their boyfriends, Caleb and Toby.

"You guys have to take me home!" Aria urged, pulling on their arms. Their eyes wandered to the clock and simultaneously gasped.

"I'll go find Emily!" Hanna said, "get to the car and pull up in the front."

Everyone assembled to their destinations, and for moments, Aria forgot about who she was with, who had found something special in her. She looked into the crowd, seeing Ezra's confused face frantically scanning crowds to find her. But this was where their fate would end. She had to get home. He'd return to his normal life of being Rosewood's finest bachelor and she'd continue being a maid in her own house for another few months until she found a way out of her dreadful town.

Without another look, she ran after Spencer.

* * *

**A/N**: This chapter was so fun to write, especially the Ezria scene. thanks for the reviews, guys! it really motivates me to update sooner. tell me what you thought about this chapter and i'll be sure to update fast like i did with this!


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

"Who was it?"

"No, who was that guy?"

"Wait, who-"

"Guys!" Spencer yelled from behind the driver's seat. "Talk one at a time, 'kay? And try not to burst my eardrums in the process."

Emily, who was in the passenger's seat, turned her head to see Hanna and Aria's frantic faces. They all waited for someone to say something first, but when they continued staring at one another for an unreasonable amount of time, Aria spoke up.

"Did you find your secret admirer?" she asked Emily. With a slight blush creeping up on her copper-skinned face, she hesitantly nodded. Aria's mouth opened in shock and excitement, and she let out a brief squeal. "Who was it?"

She glanced at Hanna and back at Aria, her modest smile faltering. "It... it's Paige McCullers."

"Paige?" Spencer repeated. No one knew what kind of tone she had, and it couldn't be deciphered with her facial features since she was keeping her eyes on the road. She explained the entire story of Paige and her history and how they were always competing against each other before high school. Emily's face grew even more saddened at Spencer's declarations and Aria felt bad for her hopeless friend. She now understood how it felt to want to be with someone that others wouldn't approve of. She wanted to be with Ezra the more she thought about it, but the amount of limits that separated them was immense, a fence she believed he wouldn't have the energy to climb just for her.

"I think you should be with her," Aria stated, interrupting Spencer's abrasive speech, "only if you want to. If she makes you happy, that's all that matters."

Aria's hand went over Emily's and clutched it tightly, in compassion. Hanna's went over Aria's and they took a moment to embrace each other's presences.

"How about you, Aria?" Hanna finally inquired, "who was that guy you were dancing with?"

"Wasn't that Mr. Fitz?" Spencer jumped in after taking a hard left turn at the stop light, where the road to Aria's house laid. "I think I recognized his hair, but I'm probably wrong."

Aria hesitated, her hand slipping out from between Emily's and Hanna's. "Yeah. It was Mr. Fitz."

All three girls gasped, bombarding her with questions. She knew the only people in her group that had his class were Hanna and Emily, which was why they were the most shocked. Spencer and Aria had AP English, which didn't qualify them to be in the English class for twelfth graders, but Spencer had recently switched back into the regular English class.

She couldn't answer any questions - she had arrived her house. She eyed the time in the front of the car, which read 11:57.

"Thanks, you guys," Aria said, making her way out the car. "We'll talk more tomorrow."

"Oh my... my cousins!" Emily screeched, "I'm coming with you, Ar."

"You can't!" Aria exclaimed, her big, green eyes widening as she motioned her to head back into the car. "Meredith's probably home. And if she isn't, she'll be here any second. They can go down the ladder."

Emily ignored her frantic pleas and followed her across the street. Aria suppressed a sigh, but she understood her friend's worry. Their giant dresses made it more difficult to travel to the house. Thankfully, Meredith's car was nowhere to be found. Unluckily, her car was pulling around the curb the second their feet hit the platform.

"Backdoor!" Aria motioned, ditching the steps and heading to the side of the house. They didn't have the time to use the keys to enter the front side, and knocking would take much longer since she had assumed they'd be all the way up in her room watching television after hours of hard work. Judging by the nonstop trembling going on at her lower lip, she knew she didn't have too long before her heart would race faster than the speed of light and blow her up.

They reached the backdoor, which was always unlocked, and barged in. The two ladies took flight up the stairs, just as Aria heard the sound of a car door shutting from outside.

"Go, go!" Emily rushed, nudging Aria's back. She was trying to get to her room as fast as she could, but not everyone was an athlete like Emily.

As soon as they reached the top, Aria advised, "go get them. I'll get the ladder ready."

Without another word, they sped to their destinations; Emily to Aria's room and Aria next to the window where the end of the hallway laid. She struggled to pull up the window, using the pane as guidance, but eventually got it all the way open with a final push. As soon as Emily arrived with her cousins, the distant sound of keys jingling could be heard.

"Here!" Aria exclaimed, pointing down. First went her cousins, heading down almost immediately as if their expertise was climbing. Then went Emily, just when the door shut closed.

"Get changed, Ar," Emily said quickly before turning out of sight. Aria gasped, looking down at her royal blue dress. If Meredith had seen her in it, she knew she'd be busted.

"Aria?" she heard her stepmother call out from the bottom of the stairs. Aria's breaths quickened, her fingers beginning to shake as she closed the window as soundlessly as she could. She sneaked into the bedroom, locking the door behind her, and stripping herself from anything valuable. Her dress, her jewelry, and her styled hair and makeup had to go.

She pulled on a long shirt that covered everything down to her upper knees, slipping her arms into the long sleeves. She frantically popped out the bobby pins from her hair and let it down. She found a cloth that allowed her to take off whatever she could, but it was difficult to do so when she had no source of water. Time was ticking, and it was ticking fast.

"Aria?" Meredith said a little more sternly. It was then that Aria noticed the lady was right out the door. She froze in her place, making no motion. Maybe she'd look some other place for Aria. "Are you sleeping?"

That was her way out of the situation! She had to pretend to be out like a light. She stared at the crack located right under the door, where Meredith's shadow could be seen. Fear consumed her, almost divulging her. She used her hand to cover her mouth, decreasing the sound of her heavy gasps. Whether she deserved it or not, she needed her close calls to pay off. She wanted the night to be worth it with no consequences except a slight guilty conscious of disobeying orders. She wouldn't mind that. In fact, she believed it'd even be healthy.

When Meredith's shadow ceased to exist by the door and the patters of her steps became muted, Aria released her clammy palm away from her face and inhaled deeply, closing her eyes in the process. She had never been so scared in her life, not even the time she accidentally broke Meredith's favorite vase could top her jitters. She was thankful it was over.

She resumed to discard her cosmetics off her face and reminded herself to get rid of her nail polish before running into Meredith the next day. She was too tired to do anything else, but setting an early alarm clock to work on homework was a must-do. She wouldn't allow herself to fall back. Earning a scholarship and getting out of Rosewood was all she could hope for in the next few months.

Feeling too hot to put on pajama shorts, she crawled into her bed with a deep sigh. Sleeping was all that was on her mind, along with a special male. He drifted into her mind all of a sudden, but what was the use? Why dream about him if she could never have him? She convinced herself she'd have a better chance with Justin Timberlake before Ezra Fitz.

Still, their bodies intertwined when they danced was the most alive she had ever felt. _Ever_. She wanted that lost spark back in her life. She needed it. Ever since her mother died, her life went downhill.

Behind closed eyes, she could feel a familiar heat accumulate. Opening them caused the hidden tears to sprawl all over the pillow. She hated this feeling of weakness. Wiping her eyes, she forced herself to stop thinking about anything but sleep. She forced everything happy out of her life. She forced herself to forget about Ezra. In the end, she knew she'd be left with disappointment. It was better to learn it and stick with it rather than having the wool being pulled over her head.

* * *

It was four in the morning and though Ezra was supposed to be putting his undivided attention towards grading essays he promised to pass back that same day, his eyes could only glance over towards the magnificent poem he took from the wall of the Ball, which belonged to the beautiful anonymous female. He didn't even get the chance to ask her name and somehow he had fallen for her. He really believed she was a woman he could imagine himself with.

He took a sip of his coffee, which had an amount of liquid courage to take the edge off, but truly didn't help with staying awake and grading papers. He rubbed his temples as an attempt to bring the girl and her masked face out of his thoughts. However, closing his eyes wasn't helpful. In royal blue popped her elegant curves, dancing to the beat of the music.

Was it possible to be so infatuated with someone you talked to for only two hours? He never knew it was possible. It even took Jackie Molina, his previous love interest, a while to situate himself with. Sure, she was graced with looks and talent, but there was never an immediate sign of chemistry. The moment the unidentified girl turned her head and her green eyes met with his, he knew there was something there.

Why did he let her go? He was punishing himself for it. More importantly, why did she go? He couldn't have disturbed her, right? She was basking in the delightful music for an entire hour with no complaining, except for afterwards, when she told him her legs were becoming sore.

He picked up the poem once again, the edges officially wrinkled from him handling it numerously. How was he going to find her? In a small town like Rosewood, one would believe it would be simple, when in reality it was just like finding a needle in a haystack.

Rereading the words once more, he placed it on the couch next to him and went back to correcting the last and most illiterate essay of them all. It exhausted him to have to go over the incredible amount of mistakes.

_If only all his students had the talent his mystery girl did._

Waking up a few hours later by the sound of his alarm clock, the idea was still fresh in his mind. It came from his dream. He found the poem underneath his pillow and grinned widely at it.

"I'm going to find you," he promised, stroking the verses like he was going to stroke her delicate cheek. He would soon.

And he was going to use this one piece of paper to do it.

The man usually lost himself in his teaching, but as soon as he finished his instruction and sat back as his desk, the masked face popped into his head once again. The only distractions from his thoughts was the loud slam of Spencer Hastings putting her pencil down to show she had finished fifteen minutes prior to the expected time and a sudden fart that Noel Kahn immediately blamed Hanna Marin on, even though Ezra could see a whoopie cushion poking out from underneath her black pencil skirt. It took too long for him to get the class focused on their class assignment.

"Were you at the Masquerade Ball?" Hanna questioned him when the bell for the next period chimed loudly.

"Uh, yeah," he replied, "were you?"

She nodded, and with a impish smile, she exited the room and ended their brief conversation.

As soon as the last bell rung a few hours later, a sudden rush of excitement pulsated through out him. He did his best to gather all of his papers, slowly when the students were piling out of his classroom and a little faster when no one was in sight. He had a mission he needed to complete.

"Hardy?" he asked after dialing his best friend's number on his phone and waiting for the man to answer.

"Hey, what's up?" Hardy answered.

"I need your help. Are you busy?"

* * *

"Did you hear?" Hanna asked, dashing up to the brunette-haired girl, which startled her a bit. She hid her jumpiness, took a swig of her mocha coffee, and replied with a 'probably not.' Having only an hour of sleep took a toll on Aria's behavior. She hoped it wouldn't be too conspicuous to her friend.

"You really don't have too many friends, do you?" Hanna teased as they took a right on the curb, passing the library. The outer decorations had been taken down already and left no trace of its existence even though that's all that could be talked about around town.

"I'm lucky enough to have you three, right?" Aria nervously laughed. It wasn't that she didn't want to make friends. With all the rumors about her, she didn't know if it was possible to create a brand new companion. She didn't mind too much. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise. If she made friends that wanted to invite her everywhere, she'd have to refuse 90% of the time because of Meredith and her annoying ways of being able to keep her in the house all the time. Thankfully, her current friends understood what a strict parent was, even if they didn't know the extents her stepmother went to drown Aria's happiness.

"Anyways," Hanna began, "Fitz set up this stand yesterday at the center city, you know, where the Ball was at. I guess he's looking for _someone_ he met there and he wants to find her again. Literally, half of the single women in this town went. And he's doing it every single day at six until he finds her. Guess what you should do?"

Aria rolled her eyes, knowing what Hanna wanted from her. "I'm not going to go see him again."

"Why not?" Hanna asked, almost pleading. She clung onto Aria's baggy sweater, close to causing Aria to drop her drink. "You haven't dated anyone. _Anyone_, Aria. You know, Noel Kahn was interested in you and you turned him down even though you were head over heels for him. Are you going to do the same thing with Mr. Fitz?"

"Yep," she said almost immediately. Who would want to be with her? Once he found out that a seventeen year old girl was who he went out of his way to find, she'd never be able to live with the guilt and humiliation. She had enough of that in her life anyways. "How is he even going to find her? Or me, or whoever. I don't think he knows what I look like."

"He probably doesn't know what you look like," Hanna said, rummaging through her purse. She pulled out a folded paper and handed it to Aria, who unfurled it and scanned whatever was written on it.

"Looking for a female," Aria read off, "5'4 or shorter, brown hair—"

"I heard some people even dyed their hair," Hanna pointed out, "if he wasn't yours, I _so_ would have done it too."

"Han, he's your teacher," Aria reminded.

"So?" she giggled, stealing Aria's mug and taking a few sips while the petite girl continued reading over. Her eyes went a little large at the last requirement.

"Oh my god, he has my poem!" she exclaimed horrifically. Was her name on it? Was that how he was going to catch her? She retraced her thoughts, abruptly remembering that it was an anonymous poem. She let out a breath of hair, her heart rate slowing down to normal.

"Yeah..." Hanna trailed, looking at her like she was nutty.

"And he wants me to recite a verse from it," she added. Hanna snatched the paper away and pointed to a part.

"_Revolve around a certain frown_," she said. Her nose crinkled up. "Is that part of it?"

Aria nodded, "the first line of it, yeah. _Hindrances cast aside, __deterrents torn asunder; help make the picture clearer and keep us from going under_."

Hanna stared at her in confusion. Aria couldn't help but to laugh at her reaction. Big words weren't her thing — well, _words_ in general. She had to be around the abundant corrections Spencer gave Hanna, which usually resulted in meaningless bickering.

"Do you really think I should try?" Aria asked timidly, a small smile crossing her face.

"Yes!" Hanna jumped. "You should! You really should! And look—" she pointed in the distance, and Aria's eyes trailed to the path she directed her at. She almost gulped at the sight of the city center, where a crowd of people in mostly dresses and skirts lurked, along with rows of cars. The amount of competition she had was incredible. But only she knew the poem by heart, which increased her chances by one hundred and ten percent.

Aria turned to the blonde, who gave her a last reassuring look.

"Go," she motioned, "go show your dream man who he's been waiting for his whole life."

"God Han, that was so cheesy," Aria teased, giggling as she crossed the street. It was a walk she had to take without Hanna. She was terrified, but excited at the same time. So many voices chattered, and they continued to grow louder the closer she had gotten. A sudden ring of exasperated sighs bellowed the outer parts of the center city and the flock of women evacuated the crowded spot. Aria stopped in her tracks, seeing Ezra sitting next to a man on a set-up table. His face was etched with hopelessness. She dared herself to go closer, and that's exactly what she did. Her mind was telling her to stop, but her legs were telling her to go. In most cases, it was a mind over matter situation, but this time it was the exact opposite.

"Excuse me," Aria said, reaching Ezra just as he stood up and brushed off a nonexistent speck on his shirt. "Hi, I'm—"

"Look," he interrupted, "I'm already done seeing people. Come back tomorrow, please."

He waved and set off to the streets with his companion. She choked on her her words, trying to find something to say.

"W-wait, I— I'm the..."

It was too late. He was walking away, and just like that, she was back to base zero. She bit her lower lip, trudging back to the street where Hanna would be at.

"So?" Hanna asked excitedly. "What'd he say?"

In response, Aria shrugged and walked the other direction. "It isn't going to work out."

"What? What do you mean?"

Aria squeezed her eyes for a brief moment, forcing back her tears. "He doesn't like me. Come on, let's just go."

* * *

**A/N:** My poor baby Aria, it was so disheartening to read over the last part of this. i think this'll just end up being a fourshot or a fiveshot? i'm still not sure, hahaha, we'll see. and as for a reviewer's question, it's supposed to mimic Disney's Cinderella! with small twist of my own, of course, so it won't be like i'm completely taking every single idea from them. review and i'll update as soon as possible! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

"That girl's cute looking," Hardy pointed out to Ezra as they walked away from the brunette that approached them.

"You thought every girl was cute, Hardy," Ezra reminded.

"No, I thought every girl was _hot_," the man emphasized, "this one's got a cuteness to her."

The two best friends simultaneously looked back, seeing the girl rapidly walk off, her her long brown locks flying around as the wind made quite an effort to thrust her small frame down. She seemed young, eighteen years old at the most. Ezra watched as she regrouped with a blonde. For a second, he assumed it to be Hanna Marin, but shook his head in disbelief.

"Just give up and choose one of the lovely ladies tomorrow," Hardy persuaded.

"Be calm," Ezra said, "it's only been two days. We're going to find her."

He wasn't going to give up. If it was the last thing he was going to do, he was going to find his mystery girl. He hadn't felt something so strong for anyone, not even Jackie. It was his chance to get things right and better in his life.

"And if you don't, you'll die?" Hardy teased, nudging him in the arm. Only he knew how strangely drawn the curly haired man was to love. When Ezra found a special girl, he wanted her to see what he saw.

"I think I might," he retorted.

Somehow, Hardy managed to convince him to go to The Late Night Crew, a bar on the outskirts of Rosewood. If it hadn't been for Hardy's reminders of helping him find his soulmate out at center city, Ezra would have ditched his task of being a wingman. Instead, he watched Hardy buying girls a ridiculous amount of drinks and become engulfed in the ambiance of them.

"See you tomorrow, Z," Hardy waved off Ezra after he informed him of his latest plans, which was ditching him and taking two new acquaintances of his to his house. Ezra couldn't help but to laugh at the sight of his friend trying to get the drunk women out the bar stably. He wasn't upset in the least of Hardy ditching him. In fact, he kind of hoped for it. Being stuck at The Late Night Crew was the last place he wanted to be at.

He made his way outside, running through the pouring rain. He stepped inside the car, turned the engine on, and drove towards the town lights of Rosewood. Casually, he rolled his fingers in his hair to get rid of the excess precipitation that cascaded his curls. The silence in the car brought him into his thoughts.

So many women arrived at the stand. His mystery girl was out there somewhere, and for piles of other people to lie and say they were the girl who he danced with at the ball made him feel hopeless. Lies, lies, they were all lies. Every girl that stood in front of him and recited the poem incorrectly was another step in the wrong direction for the plan. It made him think that she would never be found in the crowd.

Was Hardy right? Was it in his best interest to stop looking? Did she even want to be found? Hell, his doubts that she was even in the crowd could have been valid. He couldn't get her out of his mind. Her masked image was in his dreams, taunting him, showing him that the longer it took for him to find her, the less ambition he'd have.

It was getting harder and harder to see, the more the rain continued to downpour against the framework. The windscreen wiper went left and right, left and right, faster and faster. He struggled to see the traffic lights in front of him. A blur of green and yellow and tons of unnameable colors were in the hazy picture. He took a hard brake and almost let out a holler when a black figure suddenly located itself in front of him. His breaths intensified, noticing it was a person he was so close into running over.

* * *

The lights of the car almost blinded Aria. She took a deep breath and made her way across, waving to whoever the person was inside of the car apologetically. If they hadn't stopped, she would be one second away from death. At least it would escape her from Meredith.

She began to walk past, the rain hitting her wet hair and the rest of her clothes. She tried as hard as she could to shield the box of sweets her stepmother demanded she'd go and buy, but they were already soaked and she had no money to go back and buy more or to buy a taxi to get home. Meredith had taken all of her work money after she managed to find a speck of dust on the kitchen counter. Another ten blocks in the thunderstorm awaited her.

She could faintly hear a voice from behind her. She stopped in her tracks and turned around to see where the noise was coming from, just out of curiosity. To her surprise, it was the person in the car that almost ran her over. And they were calling _her_. What interest did they have in Aria?

Her dripping legs guided her way back. There were no cars around except for the one, which put frightening thoughts into her brain. She shook them off and proceeded. She held back a gasp when she saw the ever so familiar Ezra Fitz.

"Are you alone out here?" he asked kindly, his cloudy muted grey eyes laying fixedly on hers. Aria hesitated, looking around to make sure it was her who he was talking to before looking back at him.

"Yeah, I am," she replied, trying to be audible above the wind and the incredible rainstorm.

"How many more blocks do you have left?" he inquired. She noticed that the rain was beginning to pour into his car and onto his hair, which made her feel guilty. He was standing there to see if she was okay when he had a life he needed to attend to.

"Just a few," she lied.

"A few?" he repeated, "I know your mom's probably told you about not getting into a stranger's car, but if you need a ride, the passenger seat's all yours."

Aria shook my head almost immediately — not because she didn't want to go, but because she didn't want to bother him.

"I wouldn't want to delay you," she told him.

"Really, you'd be no delay at all," he affirmed, flashing a smile. She stood there hesitantly, captivated by his kindness, before making her way to the other side and entering. She resisted the urge to squeeze the water from her hair like a dog. Manners were everything to her.

As soon as the car picked up, her tense muscles loosened up. She didn't dare bring her entire body back, in fear of making a giant wet mess.

"I feel like I know you from somewhere," Ezra suddenly said. Her loosened muscles went right back to its tensed position.

"I think I came up to you today," she stuttered quickly, looking down at her lap to shield her face with her long, brown hair. She didn't know why, but it was imperative that he wouldn't know who she was until she was ready to reveal her identity. The way he shrugged her off earlier made her feel humiliated. She knew it wasn't his fault, not in the least. She'd be quite irritated herself if the roles were reversed. Still, something about it just didn't sit right with her and it would take her a while to get settled with the circumstances.

"Oh, right," he muttered, tapping on the steering wheel in a nervous manner. "Look, I'm sorry about that. Are you going to come tomorrow? To the stand."

"Probably not," she shrugged. The irony of their conversation almost made her want to laugh and cry at the same time. If he would just turn his head and get a good look at her, he'd finally see who he was looking for. Maybe the mask hid her face, but she was sure that he'd know who he was just by her eyes. He _did _stare into them for two straight hours.

"Why not?" he questioned. Judging by the tone of his voice, she could tell he was merely concocting small talk. He didn't really care if she would be there or not. Her discouraging thoughts made her feel even worse. There was no way she would show herself to him now.

"You're probably just not looking for me," she said. The air around her was being to suffocate her. She took drawn in breaths, her attempts to ravish the sheltered air failing. Panic arose in her chest. All she knew was she had to go before she passed out. When the next red light came up, she hopped out of the car and shut the door behind her, running out to the sidewalk. She knew exactly where she was. Two more blocks until her house came up. Using the bagged goods to cover her head, she set off on her journey to a place she could no longer call home.

The day after, when the previously grassy grounds were now mud-filled and slushy and the sun peered out of the partly cloudy skies, Aria wanted to lounge in her bed forever. But knowing that finals were the week after, it was too risky to miss another day of school where preparation of the exams was vital to her future. In five months, she wanted to see herself in her brand new apartment in New York City instead of painting Meredith's fingernails. She anticipated big and would do anything to reach her goals. It would be what her mother wanted her to do.

After getting dressed and stepping out of the house, she peered at her palm, which had four quarters stacked upon one another. It was just enough to get her breakfast at Minnie's bakery. The lovely lady that worked there always reduced the price for Aria. Unlike the rest of Rosewood, she was a nonjudgmental person and treated the seventeen year old with the utmost kindness and respect, which Aria always appreciated of her.

Remarkably, Emily sat in front of the bakery, eating a pastry and staring at her cell phone intently. Aria gave her friend a big smile, forgetting about her life troubles and the incident from the night before and approaching her.

"Coffee cake?" Aria guessed her entree, leaning my hip against the table. The copper-skinned teenager took her creamy brown eyes off her phone and up at her, mimicking her smile.

"Fruited orange bread," she corrected, "want some?"

Aria shook her head, tightening the fist that contained the quarters. "I'm going to go grab something for myself and we can walk to school."

"Sounds good," she agreed. The brunette gave her a tiny smile before walking into the store, the door chime clanging together to create a soothing ding. The aroma of pastries filled her nostrils, a smell she enjoyed a lot. Stares were being shot at her, but she tried to ignore them to the best of her abilities. Talking assembled to harsh whispers as she stepped up to the counter, where Minnie stood, a joyous grin plastered on her elderly face.

"How are you, Aria?" she asked genuinely. She was already preparing Aria a bag.

"I'm alright," she nodded, forcing out her previous wary thoughts of Ezra. She unclasped her fist and placed the quarters on top of the counter, where they made a brief, clank sound. "Is there something here for a dollar?"

Minnie gave her a look, not one of pity or disgust, which Aria kind of liked. "Don't be silly, baby girl. Choose whatever you're up for."

Aria replied with a smile and stepped to the left. An assortment of pastries awaited her; buns, cakes, breads, pies, tarts, you named it, she had it. She didn't have much of a sweet tooth in the morning, so going for the fruit muffin and raspberry flavored ice tea was her final choice. As her eyes flickered over the Boysenberry pie, she thought about the rant Hanna gave her relating to Ezra's favorite pie. A frown came across her face, but she hadn't noticed it until Minnie asked her why she was so down.

"It's nothing," Aria replied, "really. Thank you for the food."

"No problem at all, m'darlin," she said, handing her the bag and the plastic cup containing tea, "I'll see you around!"

Aria waved at the friendly owner and exited the store. Emily had already been standing, waiting for her to finish ordering. They commenced onwards, beginning to talk about Emily and how she's been especially happy with Paige. Aria noticed the spark in her eyes as she described her. She couldn't help but to feel jealous, though she was extremely excited for her friend. After Alison and her disappearance, it'd been hard for her to get back up on her feet.

"But there's one problem," Emily added, "she doesn't want to come out of the closet. And I can't help her get out of the closet as long as Spencer's around. She's going to judge her. She hates her, Ar."

"She doesn't _hate_ her," Aria said, "she just strongly despises her. But if she cares about who you're with rather than your happiness, then that's her problem."

Emily soaked in the advice, nodding her head leisurely. "Thank you."

"For advice?" Aria looked at her peculiarly. It was normal for them to be there for each other. They were good friends.

"Yeah, and for supporting me," she cleared up. "I just feel so bad. You can help me with my problems, but there's nothing I can do to help you with yours. If Mr. Fitz was a teenage boy, I'd be able to try. Having a personal conversation with my English teacher would be... _bad_."

Aria chuckled nervously, imagining how that talk would come to pass. She tore off a piece of her fruit muffin and slipped it inside her mouth. "It's fine, Em. It's really not a big deal to me anymore."

"But you're still going to try to show him that it's you, right?" she asked. Aria knew the answer, but it was embarrassing to show how defeated she was. She shook her head slowly.

"What?" Emily stopped in her tracks, almost dropping her cup. "What do you mean—" she imitated her head shake. "Not trying isn't an option. Not as long as I'm around."

"Who's not trying anything?"

The voice didn't come from either of them. They watched as Hanna and Spencer skimped towards them. They were a few feet away, but easily caught up.

"Aria's not trying anything," Emily filled in as Hanna shredded a piece of Aria's muffin, "meaning she's not going to tell Mr. Fitz about her." She looked down, waiting for her friends to formulate a controversial debate that she would have, by no means, an interest in discussing.

What did she have to hide? Nothing. There was nothing to be ashamed of. Aria was a minor and Ezra wasn't, hadn't they forgotten? Heck, she had forgotten it herself for a moment. It would be wrong of her. The last place she wanted him to be was in an orange jumpsuit surrounded by violent human beings and tiny bunk beds when he had made a living for himself. A clean, wonderful life that she had no right to take away from him. If she made the decision to exhibit her identification, chances were that she'd be the one getting hurt _first_.

Ezra's words filed into her head. '_I feel like I know you from somewhere._' If she didn't go ahead and quickly identify herself to the shy, heartsick girl that stood on the edge of the curb rather than the nameless dancer, would he have come to the understanding of who she was? The girl he was looking for?

_No_, she thought. _He isn't looking for you. He's looking for a goddess, a woman that he can be with_. They could never be together, she was almost positive of it.

But what if they could?

The compressed thought was washed away as Hanna's manicured fingers snapped away in front of Aria's eyes.

"Back on Planet Mars?" she questioned.

"I think you meant 'back _from_ Planet Mars,'" Spencer corrected.

"Whatever, okay?" Even though Aria's eyes were planted on her combat boots that paced down the sidewalk, she knew they were exchanging looks.

"Aria, I really think you should give it a chance," Emily recommended, "look at where I'm at. A week ago, I probably would have better imagined myself with Hanna than Paige—"

"Aw, really?" Hanna placed her hand over her chest, "I think I have that affect on most people like you."

Emily rolled her eyes at her sassy interruption before proceeding to finish her speech. "What I'm saying is, you should give it a shot. Just one more try. I know you'll be relieved to get it off your chest once it's done. After it's done, you'll be able to go on and live your life and look back and say, 'I did it.' With no regrets. Whether it works out for the best or doesn't work at all."

Aria soaked in every syllable Emily pronounced, now beginning to come into war within herself. The possibility that it could come crashing down on her was colossal. But like Emily said, she'd never have to look back and say 'what if?' There were many things she passed up in life in fear of disappointment, but it dawned on her that if she wanted to learn how to live her life, she had to start with this.

"Okay," she merely stated.

"Okay?" all three girls questioned in unison, which brought a cheeky smile to Aria's face.

"I'll do it," she finally complied.

"Then it's time to come up with a plan," Hanna nodded, a mischievous smirk crossing paths with her cherry tart lips. Whatever the blonde had in mind, Aria knew she was in for a twist.

* * *

"We're going to do _what_?" Hardy uttered, a little too loudly in the midst of The Brew. Ezra looked behind him, sheepishly smiling at the customers who had turned their heads at his friend's sudden outburst, before eyeing him again. He knew he'd be a little upset at his request— or more, his _demand_— but this was essential to his health. After a good nights' sleep, all of his doubts were wiped away and he started the day with a positive outlook on his search.

"If I say it again, are you going to scream it to the top of your lungs?" he asked mockingly as he took sip of his strong, black coffee.

"You know, I think I just might," Hardy confirmed, shaking his head, "c'mon, Z. Why are you planning to stay outside until eleven at night for this girl? How do you know she wasn't only visiting Rosewood for a night, hm?"

"Because the poem was up on the wall, Hardy," he reminded. "It was people that contributed their work from weeks before."

Ezra didn't even need the poem anymore when he went to his stand. He had it memorized from top to bottom. Every word was ingrained into his lovestrucked brain. He had it in his head the entire day at the high school, while he was teaching or sitting in the district of his silent room and eating his fast food lunch or even zoning out to Hackett's requests. That poem was everything to him, and even after reading it over and over again, he still managed to find the same joy in it. That was the thing he loved about her writing. He just couldn't get enough of it.

"I still think you're doing a little too much," Hardy shrugged, indulging his beverage for seconds while Ezra went off about how amazing she was for God knew how many times.

"If you saw her, you'd know what I meant," Ezra suggested, "she's amazing."

He pretended not to notice the eye roll Hardy gave him, but instead looked over his friend's shoulder. A mini stage was built inside The Brew, in case small events were being held and were needed to be used at that location. A petite woman made her way up the small steps to the stage, her brown curly tresses covering her face. It was the first time since the Ball that someone had caught his eye. But when she finally adjusted the microphone and lifted her head, Ezra's eyes grew wide.

It was the girl in the rain.

A flashback of her soft, illuminating face flashed into his head. She was unimaginably beautiful with the rain soaking her hair and damping her face, but she was even more beautiful up on that stage, the fluorescent light hitting her the correct way. She was young, very young, he could tell. But her face had an indescribable maturity he didn't spot before, like she had the invisible scars of an wise, old woman.

"What are you looking at?" Hardy questioned, looking at the direction Ezra's eyes had been captivated at. He knew he was supposed to be in love with his mystery girl, the masked girl at the Masquerade, but the bedazzling female that stood twenty feet away from him was too alluring to look away from.

"Hi," she spoke shyly through the mic, "I'm Aria Montgomery."

_Aria. Aria Montgomery_. He had heard that name before, on a few different occasions: one when Ella, his colleague, was mentioning her kids and another time when Hanna Marin's unimaginably loud gossiping before the bell rung could be heard. Was she a high school student?

Aria's eyes swept the crowd, coming into contact with Ezra's. His breath caught into his throat, and for a moment, he wasn't able to inhale. Even from the other side of the room, her green eyes mesmerized him. He coughed it out as her eyes averted elsewhere.

"I'm here today to introduce a poem I've written," she informed, her fingers fidgeting around before residing on the belt loops of her low waist jeans, "I've never come up with a name for it until today. It's called A _New Chapter._"

Ezra watched her carefully as she cleared her throat and flicked her tongue against her bottom lip. She gave herself a moment to regroup peace in her mind. He knew that because it was a technique he, too, did when he went to read his books and poems at an open stage.

"Revolve around a certain frown," she started, "hindrances cast aside, deterrents torn asunder; help make the picture clearer and keep us from going under. Enraptured by the smile, saddened by the tears, encouraged by the hugs, and frightened by the fears..."

She continued to speak, her confidence growing by the stanza. After minutes, every single person but one cheered for the blushing beauty. The only person that had no desire to clap was Ezra. Instead, the curly haired man was standing on his feet, almost unable to keep his slightly wobbling legs from buckling down. It was _the_ poem. The poem that he held at night, the poem that he read over numerous of times. Which only meant one thing.

Aria Montgomery was his masked princess.

* * *

**A/N:** wow okay, so i'm kind of proud with how this turned out. i was actually going to go a different route, but i did promise myself i wouldn't take too long with this story because i want to finish up 'Kiss Me, Not Her' as soon as i can with no distractions, and that route would take at least another five chapters. still, i'm really happy with this and i hope you are too! review and let me know if this could have been done better or if you like it just as much as i do and i'll update the last chapter sometime this week.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

Aria watched as Ezra hovered over to her, his eyes expanded in shock and anticipation. Despite the ongoing cheers for her reading, she could hear nothing, know nothing except the look on his face. He wasn't running away, afraid that he might have fallen for the wrong, insignificant girl. He was coming towards her. She met him at the bottom of the stage, making an effort to conceal her violent shudders of anticipation. Him being so up close with such affection in his eyes warmed her heart.

Without a word, he gently cupped her hands into his and led her out the back door, abandoning the clapping crowd. The air was oddly chilly for such time in the evening. Dark, ominous clouds rolled in from overhead, threatening the citizens of Rosewood that they would pop any second and drown them in water. They had proof too, since they had showered everyone with heavy precipitation.

Aria didn't know what to expect as the door shut and they were left in the midst of themselves and nothing else. She opened her mouth to say something, but instead, a boisterous sound of shivering escaped her lips. Her eyes went wide, noticing that it was her first action. It hadn't even been a full minute since she unveiled herself to him and she was already disgracing her image.

_He's going to run away,_ she thought to herself, panic arising and almost catching her breath in her throat. She was expecting it, by any means. Being relinquished was an action she knew about all too well.

To her astonishment, she watched as Ezra let his coat glide from his back and bundled her up with it. She presented a meager smile in acknowledgement. Other than her friends and Minnie, no one had ever done a deed so kind for her. It might have been a small action to him, but to her, it was something she was going to commemorate forever.

"Thank you," she spoke delicately.

"I should be the one thanking you, _Aria,_" he countered, shaking his head for a moment as his beautiful, curly tresses bounced along with his movement. She loved the way her title sounded coming from his lips. _Aria._ She found herself repeating her name in her head. Stopping herself from her bizarre thoughts, a question sprung into her mind.

"Why?"

His gaze on her shifted, seemingly pondering over what she just asked. "You've saved me in more ways than one."

Aria didn't understand his reasoning as to why she was his savior. All she executed was a small chat with him, followed by hours of waltzing. In fact, she had even _abandoned_ him. Wasn't she supposed to be feeling penitent to her actions instead of praised? She knew Meredith would tell her that she was wasting her time trying. _Meredith_ would prove Aria wrong and show her that no one was capable of loving her, especially one as desirable as Ezra Fitz. _Meredith_ would do everything in and out of her power to demolish any spark of bliss Aria conquered.

Meredith's pesters had now pounded into her head, becoming a second conscious to her. Whenever the old Aria wanted to come out and play, the new Aria — the person her stepmother recreated her into — would bring her to a halt and shoved an assortment of skepticism.

It was why Aria could barely open her mouth and say anything to the grown man standing before her, in fear of saying the wrong thing. She wasn't shy, she was terrorized. Whenever she went against those doubt-filled thoughts, karma came back around and smacked her upside the head.

"I'm... I'm Ezra," he introduced. She knew it already. In a town like Rosewood where the young bachelor was the talk of allured ladies and envious men, she'd have to be blind _and_ deaf to not know who he was. At the thought, she smiled a little wider.

"I know," she nodded, hoping she said the right thing.

"You have the most beautiful smile ever, did you know that?" he inquired, a boyish grin crossing his face. She felt her stomach flutter heavily at both the compliment and his smile. She could remember feeling half of what she felt with Noel Kahn, but never had her heart plummet to the skies and back down, much like a rollercoaster.

It took a while for her to notice the drizzling precipitation. At first, she believed it was an aimless splash or a part of her imagination. But when it began to come down harder, she felt Ezra's firm hands wrap around her in a protective manner.

"Do you want to get out of here?" he offered, "maybe to my place?"

At first, she was extremely hesitant of his proposal. It was getting dark and if she hadn't arrived at her house soon, she'd have to suffer unbearable consequences with Meredith. Still, Ezra had taken all of his unused time into searching for her. The least she could do was accept.

"I'd love to."

They exchanged smiles as Aria leaned into him. They started their quick journey to his car, the car she had pummeled out of swiftly the night before. In an odd way, she felt free from harm around him. As long as she was in occupancy, she knew she'd be safe.

* * *

Within their moments in the car, all Ezra could think about was the exquisite beauty Aria harbored. It took him a good ten minutes to reach his apartment, but to him, it might as well have been an extraneous amount of time. He restrained his strong desires to take multiple peeks at the girl who was now unmasked. But when he did, it was like falling in love all over again. Her damp hair was tousled behind her shoulder and her warm, hazel-green eyes gazed out the window in interest.

She was incredibly shy, that was for sure. She kept quiet and only spoke when she was being spoken to. He wondered if she was always so guarded or if it had something to do with being an acquaintance. He hoped that, if they made the choice to be together, she would open herself up to him. He'd make an effort to show her that he was a guy to be trusted.

He pulled up in the front of the tall apartment, deciding he'd park his car in the public garage after he took her home. His eyes finally had the chance to wander to Aria, knowing that it was finally safe and appropriate.

"Aria?" he whispered, waiting for her to relocate her eyes to him. When she made no movement, he concluded she had fallen asleep. Whatever light that shone through made her porcelain skin even clearer. A slight rosy blush took place on her cheekbones, giving her pink lips a glow of its own. If perfection existed, Ezra would undoubtedly claim it took the form of Aria Montgomery.

He was frightened to awake her, not because he believed she'd unleash an anger, but because she'd stir out of her sleep and look even more alluring than she had happened to be. It would drive him nuts, only because his desires to kiss her would defy the goal to make her feel at ease around him.

He got out of his car to head over to the passenger's side, deciding he'd scoop her up in his arms and carry her onward. Even when her eyes fluttered open to reveal she was stirring from her dream, he wouldn't allow her to have to run out into the pouring rain.

As he wriggled his arm underneath her legs, she latched her arms around his neck and held on tightly. Ezra's thoughts were wiped away by the mere idea to kiss her, only because their faces were in a very proximity of each other. Deciding against it by the off-guard look she had on, he scooped her up. The rain was now pounding on his back, but he didn't mind too much.

"You ready?" he asked, giving her one of his infamous boyish grins. She nodded as a cute, timid smile of her own making an appearance. He felt her grip on him tighten while he counted down.

"Three... two..."

Forgetting the last number, he carried her out the car and shut the door behind him, running into the misty air. He did his best to shelter her from the rain, but it was inevitable that her hair and anything from her lower legs and down would be completely soaked. Ezra could tell that, by the way she grasped his neck, she was still feeling tentative and guarded. He hoped he wasn't moving too fast, figuratively. Baby steps was how he planned to approach her for the time being. He didn't want to scare her away or make her feel as if unveiling herself wasn't worth it, because it was for him. If she hadn't taken that step, he would have been long lost.

Alas, they reached the apartment building, and questioning looks were being shot towards the drenched duo by those who were waiting for the elevator.

"Should I get down?" Aria offered, loosening her embrace ever so slightly.

"No, no worries," he declined, smiling. He almost became alarmed when she was preparing herself to escape his bridal-style possession. He didn't know if it would be the last time he could hold onto her like this, but if it was, he'd treat it in that manner. When the elevator continued to take another minute or two, Ezra's arm became sorer.

"Let's take the stairs," he whispered. Before they knew it, they were stumbling on the stairs, hilarity encasing them. It turned out that he hadn't notice the extent of his arm cramp and buckled down. Her laughter was equivalent to the sound of chorusing angels; it really astonished him. Her arm was still looped around his neck, but lightly, since the two of them were struggling to stand on their own two legs from beneath their amusement.

After pushing themselves up and getting to the door with the marked initials of 3B, Ezra unlocked the door with his key and allowed her to enter before him. He closed the door and let his eyes nervously wander up to her face, which was looking at the living room in curiosity.

"This place looks really cozy," she complimented, one of the only things she had said to him.

"I'm glad you think so," he said truthfully, slipping off his shoes and his jacket in the process, "make yourself feel at home, _please_. I'll go get us some towels."

She nodded in response. Without another word, he made his way towards the terribly small bathroom, where a couple of towels were stored in a drawer. His hands struggled to keep a firm grasp on the towel, and it had everything to do with his abnormally shaking hands and how one moment he was ready to order something heavy alcohol based at the Brew and the next moment the girl of his dreams stood in the middle of his living room. It was all happening so fast, so amazingly fast. In fact, he took a fraction of his time to splash some water across his already damp face to make sure the past week wasn't a surreal dream he was sleeping through.

He gaped at his appearance in the mirror and would not have snapped out of his peculiar trance hadn't he heard a very loud crash. Zipping out of the bathroom, he saw a horrified Aria and shattered glass sprawled around the kitchen floor.

"I'm s-so sorry," she stuttered with wide eyes, "I didn't mean to, I was just trying to get a glass of water because I had an itch in my throat and my fingers slipped 'cause I was nerv—"

"Hey, hey," Ezra soothed, putting the towels down on the ground and inching closer to her. "It's okay, really. I drop glasses around all time."

That was a lie. He didn't really break glasses all the time, but the tension Ezra saw build up in her jaw relaxed a bit, so it was more of a helpful lie. Still, her curly, brown hair that managed to coil into ringlets flopped over her face messily, shadowing her eyes which were dipped in fear. A story could be told behind those eyes, Ezra noticed. There was something there that didn't sit right with him, and the idea that she was filled with anxiety made his stomach churn uneasily.

"Are you okay?" he asked, circling around so he could get to her without risking a piece of glass to dagger into his sensitive feet. "You're not hurt, are you?"

She shook her head fiercely, and the giggly girl that struggled to get herself up the stairs was much different from the girl that stood up on that stage, the soaking girl in the car, as well as the masked girl. Each persona all had hidden backgrounds, equally as rough as the next one. Ezra was eager, determined even, to find out what it was about her that kept her so guarded and closed.

"I'll clean up later, alright?" he told her, almost shifting his hand to her hips before remembering how easy it was for Aria to get startled, so instead, he gently placed his hand on her shoulder and guided her to the bed on the far side of the studio room, handing her a towel in the process. He resisted taking a moment to indulge his thoughts in her beauty.

"Do you want me to give you something to change into?" Ezra offered, leaning into the drawers next to him. He knew she couldn't possibly stay far from being ill when she was stifled in drenched clothes.

"If it's not a bother," Aria replied with a nod.

"Anything you want isn't a bother," he confessed, finding the thin loose sweatpants stored in the back of the drawer that Jackie used to wear a year ago whenever she came over, along with a Hollis tee. He handed the pair to her, somewhat intrigued to see how she'd look in such a casual attire.

"Hollis?" Aria questioned, eyeing the yellow shirt in her hands and pushing her dampened hair away from her face to look up at Ezra. "Is that where you went for college?"

He nodded, proudly even. "Does it surprise you?" He didn't know why she seemed to be in slight perplexity, especially when most people in Rosewood went to Hollis College unless they had other plans that included getting out of the upper class town.

"Kinda," she answered, giving me full access to gaze into her beautiful, hazel-green eyes, "it's just... my dad used to teach there before he moved."

"Can I ask what your father's name is?" Ezra investigated politely, hoping to spark up a conversation.

"Maybe after I get out of these clothes," she said demurely, a tiny smile crossing her face. A sheepish look crossed Ezra as he remembered that the two were still marinated in rain.

"Sure, sure," he waved his topic away, "the bathroom's over there."

He pointed to the door, but there was no need to. She was already on way there. He stared at the doorknob, watching as Aria's attempts to lock herself failed because of the broken bolt. In a matter of seconds, the jingling stopped. Ezra knew she rested her case.

* * *

Aria felt like such an idiot. And she was. There was Ezra, doing his best to make her feel comfortable and welcomed, and she had gone off and gotten him hurt by the stairs and shattered one of his cups. Was she destroying everything she touched?

Staring at her soaked appearance through the bathroom mirror, she tried to see what he could possibly find in her. Sure, they had the same interests in writing, but what if it was the only thing they had in common? What if he found out how dull her life is? He didn't deserve her, he deserved much better. She was starting to believe it was selfish of her to reveal herself. She would never be able to satisfy his desires of his dream girl.

She looked away from the mirror, not standing to look at herself without seeing a monster within, and stripped out of her soggy clothes. Her skin was still moistened, but it wasn't too bad. She put on the bottom before slipping on the top, looking down at the Hollis shirt with a frown. She knew it wasn't her dad's fault for leaving her with Meredith. In fact, she encouraged him to go, believing that it would be a good opportunity for him to broaden his teaching horizons. Unfortunately, she didn't know what was in store when it came to Meredith's appallingly disgusting parenting.

After interweaving her damp hair into a side braid, she took the time to fold her clothes up and walked out with them. Biting her tongue, she walked into the living room. She noticed that Ezra, too, had changed into something more pajama-like. He looked mindbogglingly flawless, and she even preferred his curly untamed hair over his smooth straight hair. It took a lot from her not to stare, so instead, she let her eyes wander towards the fractured mess in the kitchen, guilt suddenly clouding her. If it were Meredith's house she had done that in, she would've been sent to Mike's treehouse to live in for a few weeks. If it was her champagne glasses, Aria would have been looking at a good month or two sleeping outdoors.

"I'll take those," Ezra smiled heartily, flashing his pearly whites and raising his arms out. She handed him the stack of clothes, her heart pounding against her rib cage as their fingers made slight contact. She let out an accidental gasp and looked down, hoping he wouldn't notice it. Everything she was doing was awfully mortifying. She scolded herself for the twentieth time as he watched him tuck her clothes in a plastic bag and set it in the dark corners of the wall.

"Do you want something to eat?" Ezra offered, picking up his phone, "I can call for delivery."

Though Aria was starving, she shook her head and crossed one of her hands to her arm gingerly. One thing Meredith told her was that wasting other peoples' money made you look like a burden. And oddly, she believed that statement.

"Come, sit," Ezra motioned, reaching out for her. She graciously accepted his hand as he led her to the couch, which was cozier than it looked. They sat barely three inches away from each other and she had no intentions of moving as long as she didn't see a sort of strain in Ezra.

"Again, I'm sorry for the glass," Aria apologized out of nowhere. She found it to be a habit that she never really had the effort to break.

"Really, it isn't a problem," Ezra said nonchalantly. He _did_ say he broke glasses a lot, even if that wasn't an excuse for Aria herself. She thought about his previous question, about her father.

"Byron," Aria said suddenly, "Byron Montgomery."

Ezra gave her a questioning look before his eyes lit up, nodding at the name.

"Professor Montgomery," he mumbled, "I didn't have him, but I heard he was pretty great. He went on a vacation when I was supposed to be assigned to him. He was one of the more respected professors there."

His description of Aria's father made her smile a bit. It reminded her of Byron and the last time they saw each other at the airport, when he was bidding her adieu to go off to Syracuse.

The duo moved onto other topics — music, writing, culture, their love for black and white movies, and other conversation starters that seemed to be small talk, when really, they dived into it with passion. She found out a lot of appealing things about him and his recent past, like his real last name, the only cereal brand he loves, and how he was deemed 'most likely to read the Harry Potter series' as a superlative in high school. Aria tried to elaborate her life without exaggerating anything so he wouldn't feel obliged to drive her out of his own house because she truly enjoyed his company. She finally understood why all of the single women in town were head over heels for him, something she couldn't see herself until then.

"So, are you a college freshman?" Ezra asked, leaning his head on his hand and propping it on the top of the couch, keeping his charming, youthful smile on his adorable face. Aria's smile faltered, obviously taken aback by his question. She completely forgot about the age difference, and more importantly, _her_ age difference. She eyed the plastic bag filled with her clothes, as if telling them to get ready to be dropped to the curb with her.

"Not exactly," she replied vaguely, swallowing the baseball-sized lump in her throat. She waited for him to say something beneath his minor confused look, but when he said nothing, she prepared herself to spill the beans. She wouldn't lie to him, not after everything he had done for her. He deserved the truth. "I'm a.. a senior. In _high school._"

She waited for him to scream, tell her she's just a child, fling her into the kitchen floor to crash into the glass, but none of that happened. Instead, she saw his face become red around the cheeks. He was _blushing_.

"I'm sorry, I should probably go," she said, standing up on her feet. If it weren't for Ezra's sudden clasp on her wrist, she might have just bolted for the door. She looked back at him, seeing a calm look in his eyes, which captivated her and brought her back to the warm cushion of the couch. Why wasn't he scared out of his wits?

"It's okay," he nodded, "I mean, technically it's _not_ if you go to Rosewood High or if you're under seventeen..." He looked at her expectantly, "are you either of those?"

"Both," she blabbed, biting down on her lip right after. "But I'm going to be eighteen in a week, and school ends in a month and..." she let her words trail off, thinking why she was defending a case that would never win. How'd she know he even wanted to make it work? For all she knew, he thought of her as a naive child who does nothing but enjoy long rides in a stroller and found baby food to be her favorite meal.

"You'd actually _want_ to be with me?" Ezra asked, and Aria could have sworn she heard hope in his voice.

"I—yeah, I... of course," she stuttered, "but I don't want you to get your license taken away."

"Neither do I," he responded discouragingly. The two sat in outright silence. Ezra's hand never left her wrist, and she found herself aching to put her hand against his. She knew she was getting too comfortable with him so fast, but she couldn't help it. There was something about him that got her to open up.

"Maybe we should wait until high school finishes to be with each other out in the open," Ezra suggested, his broad shoulders rising in a shrug before slumping back down to its original position. Just when a pang of sadness hit the brunette girl, he added, "but I'd still like to see you. Maybe we could hang out here, in my apartment. Only if you're up for it. I don't want to pressure you. I promise, I'm not a twenty five year old freak trying to take advantage of you... and I don't know why I just said that."

Aria chuckled, the tension draining away. "I believe you. I don't think you're out to do that either." She watched as he mimicked her way of amusement. He inched away from her wrist and laced his fingers with her, an intertwined bundle collapsing on his pajama bottoms. She squinted, a question that she forced in the way back of her mind beginning to surface to the front. "Why me?"

Ezra stared blankly, waiting for her to elaborate. She suppressed an urgent sigh, repeating her question.

"Why are you choosing to keep me around? There are tons of girls— no, women that you could be after. I don't even think you'd have to chase them down to fall for you," she mumbled insecurely, "what makes me so different from the rest? I'm not secretly a burden, am I? Because if I am, you can just say it right now and this can all be over and we can go back to our lives—"

"Aria, Aria," he repeated, using his free hand to tip her head up and look at him. "I don't want you to leave. I really like you, more than I want to admit. If you want to, we can make this work."

Her upcoming smile was too huge to be restrained. If this _wasn't_ a dream she was accumulating in his car, then there was a real possibility that they'd actually work a relationship out. She wasn't thinking about the consequences anymore; she was too deep in her joy.

"Can I..." Ezra's voice trailed off as he left her hand to cup Aria's face, grazing his lips with his tongue. She watched as his eyes flickered somewhere lower before looking back into her eyes. For a second, she was confused, but when he leaned in closer, she knew what he was going to do. It wasn't the time to panic about how she was an inexperienced kisser who had no experience in it, if you didn't count cheek kisses or that time when her four year old neighbor came over to her house for her fifth birthday and give her a slobbery one.

She braced herself, unsure of what she was supposed to do. She could follow Ezra's movement, or do something she saw Hanna and Caleb do. She didn't have anymore time to contemplate an insignificant matter. She could smell his nice shirt scent, which was masked in a laundry detergent scent. She closed her eyes and felt his soft, moist lips against hers, electrifying her. She slightly puckered up, assuming that was what he was doing. Their noses crashed slightly, but she barely noticed, due to her heart banging against her chest fiercely.

She saw desire and expectancy hooding Ezra's eyelids as he backed away from his place — his rightful place — on her lips. Already missing his lips, she startlingly leaned in forward to catch his lips in hers. Sensual, passionate, and thrilling was all Aria could feel. Ezra, not breaking the kiss, pulled her into him as he laid himself on the couch, permitting her to locate herself on top of him.

Tangled in a heated mess, Aria pulled her head away, shifting her weight so that their legs were tied amongst each others. She let out a throaty giggle, licking her swollen lips. She couldn't believe she had just done that. Hopefully, he looked past her amateurishness if he had even noticed.

Aria decided to put her head on his chest, snuggling his chest. She felt his arm loop around her, his face burying into her hair to place a tender kiss there. She forgot about all her obligations, like getting home and being polite around her— what was he, exactly? Her friend? Her boyfriend? Did mature people even call their partner a boyfriend? She stroked her lower lip, still feeling his lips on hers. All of her worries began fading away as her eyes closed and sent her off into a slumber.

* * *

Ezra played around with Aria's dark tresses, looping tufts of them around his finger. His smile never faded, even after he heard the adorable sounds of Aria's distinct whistles, signaling she had fallen asleep. With the exclusion of the student-teacher matter, things were going better as planned. Her shy, reserved attitude transformed into a fun, bubbly demeanor. He hadn't even expected for her to give him her last name, let alone a history of her likes. She was so beautiful, and so amazingly intriguing, it astounded him. The amount of things they shared in common amazed him.

He stifled a yawn, afraid that the heaving of his chest would wake up Aria. Glancing at his time, his eyebrows rose at the digital clock. It had already been a quarter to ten. Had they really spent that long chatting? He remembered there was a school day for Aria the next day, so he decided he'd wait until it was ten thirty to wake her up and take her home. He closed his eyes, visualizing an open life with the brunette in Rosewood, but a jingling ring snapped his eyes open. He saw Aria, sound asleep on his chest, but the disoriented ringing was located elsewhere. Ezra did his best to shift the girl off of him as he stood up to find the sound, and luckily, Aria was a heavy sleeper and barely stirred, using the warm couch seats as her new cuddle buddy.

Then, it stopped. Ezra stood in the middle of the living room, a dazed look appearing on his face. Just when his stiffened muscles loosened, he heard it again. Swiveling his head, he saw the bag of Aria's contents and dived for it, prepared to put an end to the jingle so she could continue to have a nice and peaceful sleep. He dug through, finding a cell phone. The screen, instead of being an alarm as he believed, was a phone call with the name "Meredith" flashing on it. Before he could decide whether to answer it or decline, the call vanished and in its place was the same previous caller and her 'fourteen missed texts.'

Ezra let out a hum, almost putting the phone down before something on the screen caught his interest.

Meredith: _When I tell you to get home, you get home, you disobeying bitch.  
_

Ezra's eyes widened at the harsh obscenity, almost gagging at the last word. Who was this lady? His eyes scanned the rest of the text messages, his heart racing and mournful in sympathy for Aria. Eyes flickering to the top, he saw that it was already a little past seven in the morning, which meant he hadn't only closed his eyes... he dozed off.

"What are you doing with my phone?"

_Busted_.

His head jerked up, alarmed by Aria's groggy voice. She was rousing from her sleep position and seemed to be half asleep, yet half attentive. After rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, her eyes shot straight at the anxious man, who was still trying to contemplate the messages but couldn't manage to find a thought process after seeing the conscious girl arise and slowly walk towards him.

"A-Aria, I.. who's Meredith?"

Her eyes grew wide at the name, and before he knew it, she was swiping for the phone. Ezra, being caught off guard, let her seize her belonging. He got up on his feet, practically towering over her large frame but keeping his distance from her. Aria tucked her tangled hair behind her ear, seeming to notice the time _and_ the texts.

"She's just... I don't have to explain anything! What were you even doing, t-touching my phone? I never gave you permission to use it!"

Her chest heaved up and down laboriously, and for a second, Ezra thought about dropping the situation and leaving her be. But even _he_ knew that she wouldn't be content with that in the long run. Ignoring her accusations, which were obviously to derive the topic into a different part of the context, he investigated,

"Meredith... is this woman your stepmother?"

It suddenly clicked. Aria's father, along with the young blonde who never seemed to be out of sight from him and was rumored to have an alleged affair that quickly spread around campus. Ezra remembered seeing her around campus, but almost rarely since she was a year or two younger. Was it really Meredith Sorenson?

"Yes— _no_!" Aria blurted, suddenly confused by her choice of words. But Ezra knew the truth. Maybe not the entire truth, but enough to place the missing pieces together. He wanted to help, so badly. Was this innocent appearing woman really someone dangerous to Aria?

"I can help you," he told her, nodding his head reassuringly. "Is she hurting you? We can go to the police together, we can—"

"No, Ezra!" she screamed, putting the phone to her sides but noticing the bottoms didn't have any pockets, so sufficed with shoving it in her t-shirt.

"Don't you want any help?" Ezra questioned, almost surprised to her reluctancy. His heart broke as he saw tears swarm to the corners of her eyes and fall onto her cheeks. Before he could approach her himself, Aria reached the wall and slumped herself against it, tucking her head in her lap and hiding herself in her arms.

"P-please," Aria said, sounding muffled, "don't tell anyone about this."

Ezra was still forthrightly perplexed. He shuffled his unruly hair in his fingers and cautiously sat himself across Aria, resisting the temptation to give her a comforting hug. All he wanted was the best for her, and if her home environment was just how he morosely envisioned it to be, he would do anything and everything in his power to find a way to ensure she'd be safe.

He heard her sniffle and intake rapid sharp breaths for a while before tilting her head up and away from beneath her arms, staring at Ezra dead in the eyes. "She only hits when she's drunk. Or if I've done something really bad." Her tone sounded to be the same as if she'd ask for a meal or if she was critiquing a book she found to be average. It was as if this was something that was a part of her regular lifestyle.

"Does your dad do the same thing?" Ezra questioned. Aria shook her head.

"He's in Syracuse," she apprised, digging into her the flesh of her arm with her fingernails, "he doesn't know about anything. He doesn't even know everything else she's been doing." She opened her mouth, seeming to be ready to explain something to him, but closed it tightly and pursed her lips. Ezra didn't know if it was a good idea to ask her to elaborate, especially since she had filled in so much for him already. He tried not to look at her like a lost puppy, but more like a fighter. Pity would only help her less, he knew that from experience.

He put his hands on her knees lightly and caressed it to show a sign of support. He let out an inaudible sigh of breath when she didn't move away from his touch, especially after he went through her phone.

"Stay with me," he urged, the thought not even crossing his mind until he said it out loud. Clearly, he wasn't cerebrating in the least bit. It was like he left his brain back at the couch. Still, the idea wasn't half bad.

"I can't, I have to get to school, Ezra," she responded.

"No, not now," he waved away, "I mean, stay with me for a few months. At least until you get back up on your feet and go to college or find your own place. _Please_— I'm not letting you say no."

He watched her as she bit down on her lip, seeming to actually be thinking about it. He didn't know if advising to take his help was asking for too much, but really, what _was_ asking for too much? He just wanted her to be okay, as much as he thought it. It was his only concern. His hands continued using a circular motion around her knee, and the other hand sat idly on his leg, shaking.

"If its not a bother," Aria trailed off, recalling the girl who stepped into his apartment. Bliss took over Ezra and he jumped for her, bringing her into his arms and clutching her tightly. He didn't know what it was that kicked his compassion up a notch or two, but if it was because of Aria, it was another reason to fight for her. He heard her sweet yet shaky chuckle and he probably assumed she felt as if this were surreal. The peculiar thing was Ezra, too, felt as if the past fifteen hours — _no_, the past three days — were dreamlike.

"What about the authorities?" Aria questioned suddenly, pulling away from him and looking into his eyes expectantly. "Don't we have to register my name under yours as a minor for this apartment? And then we have to get into all the details and I just think that if we get caught—"

"Aria, don't worry," Ezra chuckled, keeping his arms looped around her waist, "I'll figure it all out. I just want you to focus on the last two, three months of school and get it over with."

For the first time that morning, he saw pure happiness shade her beautiful face for a moment. A small cloud of gloom came across once again. She looked like she was going to panic.

"Ezra... _Meredith_. I can't go back to that house and grab my things while she's there."

"Then we'll go together," he reassured Aria. That wasn't an option, that was a duty. He'd be frightened out of his wits if she had to go back there alone. He made a self note to call his landlord for papers to show Meredith that day while Aria packed her belongings.

"Thank you so much," she said in a breathy manner, leaning in to hug him once more. They held each other tightly, reveling in each others high spirits. If it weren't for Aria's _real_ cell phone alarm, they most likely would have never gotten out of their affectionate moment.

* * *

For the first time in her life since Meredith moved in, Aria hadn't been so happy to be on the doorsteps of her own house. With Ezra standing next to her with his brown briefcase slung across his broad shoulders, she felt protected. Oddly enough, she had been waiting for this moment the entire school day. She could finally be rid of the one person she despised most from her life, flick her off like a bad tick. She had never believed in karma until that very week.

Her bottom lip quivered in anxiety and anticipation as she brought her key up and unlocked the door. Ezra placed a tentative but warm hand on her back, displaying without words that he was here and he wasn't leaving. The door opened very slowly, an eerie squeak accompanying the movement. Ezra took a step in first, being extremely careful of their surroundings. He checked behind the door, making sure the blonde wouldn't poke out of nowhere and dare to lay a finger on Aria.

After a quick check, Aria did her best not to let her combat boots make a heavy noise as they went up the stairs. She gripped onto her straps until her knuckles went white, all up until they entered the room. She found a large bag and shoved all of her favorite clothes inside before going towards things that could be put into the zippers — jewelry, body mist, scarfs, and accessories. She used another bag, which she used all the time in sixth grade after decorating them with chunky rhinestones and tape-on embellishments that were made out of paper, and shoved in necessities. Letting Ezra lead her to her mother's old room, which hadn't been touched since the day Byron left, she blocked out any tearful memories as she found the things she wanted to hold onto the most. If she wasn't going to come back, there were things she needed to keep with her forever.

"Are you sure she's here?" Ezra whispered as they made their way out of Aria's parents' room and back into the fluorescent-lighted hall.

"She usually comes around this time," Aria informed, adjusting the heavy bags in her hands, "but sometimes she comes a little later."

Ezra nodded, the tiniest of smiles crossing his face. She felt so incredibly lucky to have him; she even believed his devotion to her to be unreal. How was he so caring for her, even after knowing that she had more scars on her — figuratively and literally — to last a lifetime?

She headed back into her room to change out of her boots and into a pair of flip flops Hanna let her borrow from the year before, only because it was the most comforting thing after her feet being squished in closed-toed shoes. They navigated themselves to the stairs and descended downwards. The sight of Meredith at the bottom of the stairs made her insides want to change positions and be outside. Ezra promptly swayed himself in between them, taking his sweet time while he explained their situation.

"Hi, I'm—"

"Ezra Fitz," Meredith softened, the raging glare in her eyes dying down as she saw the curly haired man. _Of course_, Aria thought to herself. She knew Meredith would be interested in him. Ezra did mention the one year age difference. But she was psychotic, that woman. Surely Ezra wouldn't take her bait, right?

Then again, Aria herself was quite insane as well.

"Yes," he nodded, "I'm here to escort your daughter out, um—" Aria watched as he pulled his briefcase into sight and slipped out a roll up of papers, handing them to Meredith. "Aria will not be staying here for the time being, or ever, as far as we know. She'll be of legal age in less than a week, which means that her mother's life insurance and trust funds will all be transferred to her."

Aria's eyes mimicked Meredith's widened ones. This was news to her. She never knew about the money being transmitted to her. She always believed it would be Meredith's. She almost asked herself how in the world Ezra could have possibly known about her deceased mother, but remembering that they harbored a friendship once upon a time, her eyes trailed over to the loop of papers in his hands as he handed them to a shocked Meredith.

"Here's all the proof in documents, so no need to go looking out for answers yourself," Ezra added. Aria held back a smile at the hidden sass encased in his deep, rich voice. He held out his arm for Aria, in which she accepted slowly due to the bags in her hands, and walked with him down to the bottom of the stairs.

"Goodbye, Meredith," Ezra nodded, leading them out the door.

"Bye, Meredith," was all Aria could say beneath her impacted demeanor. Meredith still stood frozen in shock, staring at the stairs where Ezra and Aria once were. Aria barely had time to revel in the house she needed to say goodbye to, especially since she was leaving for college and wouldn't have the chance to pass her childhood estate, where there were memories heretofore.

After throwing her bags in the backseat, Aria felt her eyes tearing up with glee. Everything was going right for a change. She embraced Ezra in a hug, muttering a few dozen 'thank you's in the process.

"No need to thank me," Ezra said, hilarity joining his gold, flaky orbs as they danced around his pupils. But there was a need. If it weren't for that man standing there, if it weren't for him searching for her or for that dance or even for her friends as they dragged her along with them, she would have never gotten the opportunity to be rid of her worst nightmares.

And she had no one else but Ezra to thank.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you so much for reading, if you've gotten all the way to this point! things are a little rushed, but ezria are soulmates so I think that's an exception, haha. Review and favorite, and go check out my other stories if you enjoyed this one!


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